Walled sheet-metal structure.



P. M. WEGE. WALLED SHEET METAL STRUCTURE.

I APPLICATION FILED B509 1909, 1,017,354.

n3 SHEETS-SH Hi1 l z 9cj. 7/

wiltnw 311 new tea I Peter/II. W2 5' E M Patented Feb. 13. 1912 PETER M.V EGE, 0F MARIETTA, OHIO.

WALLED SHEET-METAL STRUCTURE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 13, 1912.

Application filed December 9, 1909. Serial No. 532,204.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Pn'rnn M. \Vaon, a citizen of the United States,residing at Miarietta, in the county of \Vashington and State of Ohio,have invented a certain new and useful lm 'irovcment in \l'alledSheetvMetal Structures, of which the: following is a specification.

The object of this invention is to pro-- vide a Walled structure ofsheet metal of simple, economical and durable construc' tion the partsof which are adapted to be readily assembled.

v he invention is embodied in the construction herein shown anddescribed the features of novelty the appended claims.

In the accompanying drau'irig-Figure 1 is a section of the line ir n-Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a section on the line ;r-:r Fig. I, with interior endpieces omitted. Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3 1 Fig. Ft. Fig. l issection on the line 2--2 Fig. t. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of aninterlockin; corner member and Fig. 5 is a plan View showing how astraight intermediate interlocking corner member can be added to twocorner members. Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a portion of a structurecontaining the invention SliOiillljI a side about to he added and withportions broken out to show details.

The structure is shown in plain box form of five walls and without acover or door.

The outer end walls 7 and 7 and the bottom 7 are all formed of a singlepiece of sheet metal. The vertical margins of the ends 7 and 7* are eachbent inward as indicated at 8 and then outward as seen at 9 to formrentrant vertical corners and the horizontal or upper edges of the ends7 and 7 are each bent mwardly'as seen at 10 then downward as seen at 11and then inward as seen at 12. The two side margins ofthe bottom 7" arebent upward as seen at 13 and then outward as seen at 14 to formreentrant horizontal corners. Portions of the metal 8 at the top andbottomrorners are cut out as indicated at 8 to permit the insertion ofthe angular interlocking pieces. The side pieces 15 and 15'- each havetheir top and bottom or horizontal margins bent inward as indicated at16 and then toward each other as seen at 17't0 form channels, and theirvertical mar ins each bent inward as indicated at 18' and then towardeach being pointed out in other as seen at 19. The corners of the sidepieces where the inwardly bent margins meet are preferably welded tomake a neat linish as seen at 23.

The channels formed by the top and b0ttom marginal portions 16 and 17receive the plain pieces. The other arms 21 of these interlocking piecesare formed at their ends to engage each other in the channels formed bythe marginal portions 10,- 11 and 12. 'lhesc arms 21 are provided forexample with recesses 21 and tongues 21" reversely arranged on the twoarms 21 so that when hooked into each other and held while lying in thesame plane they resist separation when drawn on in that plane in adirection coinciding with the center line of the coin net-ted arms. Thetwo side pieces 15 and 15' of the structure are therefore connected withthe member conun'ising the ends and.

hottonn (T. and 7") by properly placing tho plain armsof" the cornerinterlocking pie es in the channels oi" the side pieces 15 and l5 andthen pressing the sides inward toward each other :u'ititthc interlockingarms Ell oi the corner pita-cs are in osition to have their hoolts inteicngag'c. Care should be taken that interlocking arms oi the cornerpieces aromatic of such length that they will inter-mon age when thesides are fitted up against their seats on the incur her compri ed ofthe ends and bottom (7, 7, and i It the corner interlocking pieces aremade of metal of ample gage the sides. will he sutticicntly locked inplace by simply pressing the interlocking arms into their intendedengagement. But to mal =1: sure that they shall remain so locked, and tomake a neat finish, and provide also a double Wall at the ends, ifdesired, it is proposed to employ pieces of sheet metal 22 and 22* cutto proper size and bent outward and upward at its upper edge as shown at24 and doubled and bent outward at its lower edge as seen at 25 so as toclosely fit in the spaces to be occupied and to fit against the interengaged arms 21 at the top and bottom at each end of the structure tohold said arms engaged with each other. Thus constructed the parts aretightly held together.

The arms 20 or 21 or both can be riveted or spot welded in place, and ifthis he done the interior end pieces 22 and 22 can be dispensed with.

It will he observed that by this construcarms 20 of the cornerinterlockingtion the use of rivets or bolts can be avoided at least inthe manufacturing of the body and that the structure presents a neat andchaste appearance. The construction is useful in the manufacture ofcabinets, chests, boxes, cases and many other forms of walled structure.If the structure be of extraordinary width it may be advanta eons orimport ant to interpose an interme iate locking piece 26 between thehook arms 21.

The terms top bottom side and ends are used herein in a special sensebecause the device conventionally is so shown. In practice for examplewhat is herein termed the bottom might become the back and what iscalled a side or end might be the bottom.

What I claim is- 1. In a sheet metal structure of thekind described, twoparallel walls and :1 connecting wall, said parallel walls provided withbent. over concealing margins, combined with walls joining said parallelwalls, and arms connected with said joining walls and extending underthe concealing margins of the first named walls, the arms at each sideof the structure provided with means for interlocking them at their endswhereby the joining walls are held in position with reference to thefirst mentioned walls.

2. In a sheet metal structure of the kind described, two parallel wallsand a walll permanently connecting them at their cor responding edges,the free margins of said a parallel walls being inwardly bent to formgrooves, combined with closing walls to connect the aforesaid parallelwalls, said closing walls also provided with inwardly i standingmarginal grooves, and angular ieces, each having an arm secured in saidast named marginal grooves and a second arm extending into one of thefirst men- 5 tioned mar inal grooves, the corresponding i last name armsbeing interlocked with each other, substantially as described. x

3. In a sheet metal structure of the kind l described two parallel wallsand a wall permanently connecting them at corresponding i edges,combined with separate walls to coni grooves of the .marginal groove ofone nect the aforesaid parallel walls, said separate walls provided withmarginal grooves and angular nieces engaging the marginal said separatewalls and having arms interlocked with corresponding arms adjacent thefirst named parallel Walls.

4. In a sheet metal structure of the kind described two parallel wallsand a wall permanently connecting them at correspond ing edges. combinedwith separate walls to connect the aforesaid parallel walls, said sc'iarate walls provided With marginal grooves, angular pieces engagingthe marginal grooves of the said separate walls and interlocked witheach other adjacent the first named parallel walls, and means forholding said angular pieces interlocked with each other.

5. In a sheet metal structure of the kind described, in combination, twoparallel walls and a wall permanently connectin them at correspondingedges, separate end walls to connect the aforesaid parallel walls, saidend walls having marginal grooves, angular pieces each having an armengaging one of the said marginal grooves and an arm interlocked withthe corresponding arm of an opposite angular piece, and separateinserted walls to hold said angular pieces in' tel-locked.

(1. In a sheet metal structure of the kind described, two parallel wallsand a wall permanently connecting them at corrdsponding edges, the endedges of said parallel walls provided with inwardly and outwardly bentflanges forming corners, separate connecting end walls provided withflanges forming marginal grooves, the flanges of the end walls fittingin the at'orcsaid corners, angular pieces each having one arm located ina o1" the end walls and a second arm iincrlochcd with the correspondingarm of an angular piece in the opposite end wall.

PETER M. \VEGE.

W itncsses:

Winnie V. Dion, T. J. SUMMERS.

[i ii

